Baking Troubles
by FallynFate
Summary: It's Unohana's birthday and Hanataro wanted to do something special for her day. What happens when Byakuya Kuchiki and Airyella Kimura enter the kitchen to help Hanataro out? Read and Review please :)


Airyella Kimura was walking through out the Seireitei, graciously visiting different squads and saying a quick hello. She made it to Squad 4 barracks and stepped in, noticing Kotetsu Isane working on some paperwork.

"Hello Kotetsu Fukutaichō!" waved Airyella as she greeted her friend.

"Lady Kuchiki!"

"Not yet Isane!" the two friends laughed it off.

"So what are you doing here Kimura Taicho? Not that we don't mind having you here!" Isane covered herself, not wanting to sound like the 9th division taicho wasn't welcomed. Airyella smiled.

"I was making my rounds, visiting the squads."

"But don't you have a lot of work to do since Tousen left?" Airyella shook her head.

"Nope, Hisagi Fukutaichō and myself tagged teamed the work together and we actually got it all caught up in a matter of a week and a half." Isane nodded. She couldn't believe that Airyella had caught up all the work that Tousen left behind. _Although if that's one way to prove her seniorship, she sure impressed me._

"Kotetsu Fukutaichō...where is 5th seat Yamada Hanataro?"

"Oh, he's in the kitchen at the 5th division squad barracks. Hinimori Fukutaichō said he could use it for baking something, I didn't get the whole story but that is where he is at. Why do you ask?" Isane pondered. Airyella thought about it and then smiled.

"I'll see you later Isane!" with that, the 9th Divison Taicho ran out of the 4 division and was on her way to their next door neighbor, Squad 5.

In the division 5 kitchen, Hanataro was looking through a book. Leaning against the counter, intrigued at the book; Hanataro didn't hear Airyella come in. As he continued to read and look at the book, Airyella observed the shy 5th seat. She never understood why the others were so mean to him; Hanataro was strong in his own way and was always nice to everyone.

"Hanataro-kun!" The small 5th seat jumped in surprise as he was greeted by a smiling Kimura Taicho. "What are you doing Hanataro-kun?"

"Oh I- I um..I was going to make cookies for Unohana Taicho's birthday."

"That's so sweet Hanataro-kun! Can I be of assist?"

"T-the 9th division t-taicho wants to h-help me?" Airyella nodded enthusiastically. "But if you did, K-Kuchiki Taicho would hang me for making you work!" Hanataro playeda round with his fingers from the nerves setting in. Airyella walked over to him and placed a hand on his head and smiled.

"5th seat Yamada Hanataro, I am ordering you to let me help you for Unohana Taicho's present." he nodded slowly. "Great! So what do you wanna make?" the two looked through the cookbook together; there were a variety of sweets; form cookies to cakes to even hard candy.

"What about this one?" Hanataro pointed at the picture of the cookies. Airyella looked at the picture.

"Mochi rice cake cookies...hmm..." she read over the recipe. "I think we can do it Hanataro! Let's make them in a variety of flavors, so she can have a strong taste of each different cookie." Hanataro nodded. "I'll go pick up some fruit from the local vendors. Pull everything out and I'll be back before you know it." Airyella winked and flashstepped out of squad 5 barracks and headed off to the market as Hanataro started to pull out some of the ingrediants and tools to make the cookies.

Airyella trotted into the market and looked around for a variety of fruits to buy. A few Shinigami noticed the taicho and started to talk. Walking up to a vendor, Airyella's eyes lit up as she noticed the fruit.

"Hello Kimura Taicho. Out shopping today? See anything you like?" asked the polite female vendor.

"Everything looks great! Can I have a few peaches, strawberries, a kiwi, 2 bananas and... a coconut?" the vendor nodded excitedly as she packed everything in a bag and tallied the total. Airyella pulled out her money but was quickly stopped. She looked up at who owned the hand of money infront of her. "Byakuya-sama..." He gave her a slight nod.

"Arigato Kuchiki Taicho!" the vendor bowed as Byakuya and Airyella left the stand.

"Byakuya-sama...I could have paid for it. No need to waste your money, no?" Byakuya slightly smiled, a rare sight to see.

"It's my pleasure too. I have to keep you happy once in a while don't I? Besides, just what are you doing with all that fruit?" Airyella smiled.

"Yamada Hanataro and I are making mochi rice cake cookies for Unohana Taicho. It's her birthday tomorrow."

"I see." Byakuya looked forward as they continued to walk to the 5th squad barracks. "Mind if I join?" Airyella's mouth gaped open.

"Really Byakuya-sama?! You want to help?" she was ecstatic. "Of course!" Byakuya didn't care for sweets, the more spice the better in his world but, he figured he could spend time with his loving girlfriend as Ukitake Taicho was watching over Hatsuko, he could catch up on his woman's life. As they walked in, Hanataro placed everything out.

"Hantaro-kun! I brought someone to help!" Byakuya stepped into view and Hanataro almost dropped there.

"K-Kuchiki Taicho! I-I told Kimura Taicho t-that she d-didn't have to help! I-I'm sorry!" he bowed multiple times before Byakuya placed his hand on his head.

"Yamada Hanataro...I offered to help out. Please...calm down. You're not in trouble." the small 5th seat nodded. Placing the taicho haori's on a hook along side Byakuya's scarf, the trio rolled up their sleeves and prepared themselves.

"Hanataro," she placed a bowl infront of him. "add a cup of water and a half cup of sugar." As Hanataro did as directed, Airyella looked at Byakuya. "Byakuya-sama grab a sifter out of that drawer." Opening the drawer, Byakuya sifted through the tools and found what he thought was a sifter. "Good!" Airyella handed him the bowl next. "Sift the rice flour into the bowl to rid of any clumps. One cup full." Byakuya looked at the prefilled cup of flour and dumped it into the sifter, some of the flour's dust hitting him in the face, causing him to sneeze. Airyella and Hanataro giggled. The 29th head slammed the sifter against his hand, as Airyella taught him but the flour exploded; a white cloud of dust appears.

Everyone coughed and swiped their hands through the cloud. Airyella looked at Hanataro, who had the top of his head covered in powder. She giggled. He returned the giggle as Airyella had half of her face painted with the dust. Airyella looked at Byakuya and stifled the burst of laughter that wanted to escape. Opening his eyes, the grey stones fluttered behind his lids; Byakuya was covered head to shoulder in the dust.

"Byakuya-sama! When I meant sift the rice flour, I meant tap it against your palm, not slam it hard like your taking down an opponent!" Airyella boasted in laughter. Byakuya snorted - letting out small clouds of dust. As everyone shook their heads, Byakuya tried again; this time, successfully getting all the flour in correctly. Airyella added a pinch of salt and the cornstarch. As Hanataro started one a few more batches, Byakuya and Airyella made the first dish strawberry flavor; adding the crushed strawberry and their juices in the dough and adding red food coloring. "Byakuya-sama, can you grease the bowls while I mix up some of these batches?"

"Hai." Byakuya grabbed the cooking spray and sprayed down the bowls, much to Airyella's surprise - not shooting himself in the face. She poured the different flavor batches into their bowls and she microwaved one batch at a time til the dough was easy enough to mold. After each bowl, she handed to to Byakuya, who handed it to Hanataro; he placed them in the fridge to cool down. While the batches cooled; the trio cleaned up the mess Byakuya made earlier. Hanataro dusted the counter with flour.

"Ready Kimura Taicho!" Byakuya and Airyella pulled out the chilled bowls and set them down. Opening the kiwi, coconut and banana flavors, each shinigami rolled out the dough and kneaded it down. Byakuya followed Airyella and Hanataro's motions; rolling the dough into a log, they trimmed off an inch and a half pieces and started to fill them with their correct flavored jams. "They can be served warmed or chilled says the book." commented Hanataro.

"Well let's wrap them up in a tin and clean this place up. I'm sure Hinimori Fukutaichō would be most pleased to come back and find a clean kitchen." Airyella nodded at Byakuya and they started to clean up, Hanataro packed up the cookies in a decortive tin and placed a red bow on top of the lid.

The next day came along and Hanataro made his way to his taicho's office. Knocking on the door, he heard a 'come in'. Turning the knob, Hanataro graciously made his way in the office.

"Hello Yamada Hanataro. What can I do for you?" the gentle taicho Unohana Retsu asked him. The raven haired male pulled out the decrotive tin from his medical bag.

"Thesare f-for you Taicho. Kimura and Kuchiki Taicho helped me yesterday make them for your special day today." he smiled as he handed her the tin. "Happy Birthday Unohana Taicho."

"Arigato Hanataro." she opened the tin and picked up a pink cookie. Biting into it, he face lit up as the strawberry flavored hit her taste buds with an impact. Never before has she ever had so much sweet flavor in one bite. She smiled at him. "These are delicious Hanataro-san."

"We made strawberry, coconut, kiwi and banana flavored so you had a variety of options when you wanted something to eat." he replied.

"Arigato again Hanataro-san. I will have to personally thank Kimura and Kuchiki Taicho for helping you out." Hanataro bowed and left her to enjoy her day. As he closed the door, Hanataro sighed in relief that his taicho enjoyed the special treat. It was now Kimura and Unohana Taicho he could believe in that he could be protected by.

"Arigato...Kimura Taicho."


End file.
